Water heater construction



J1me 7- i w. s. MOFFlTT 2,082,648

WATER HEATER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 11, 1936 Patented June 1, 1937UNITED STATES v 2,082,648 1 WATER HEATER CONSTRUCTION Walter Moflitt,Warwick, R. I., vassignor to General Fittings Company, Providence, R. L,a

corporation of Rhode Island Application-April 11, 1936, Serial No.73,928

. v Claims. (Cl. 257-230) My present invention relates to the heatingart, and has particular reference to water heater constructions of theindirectty'pe for domestic use. V l

5 It is the principal object of my invention to provide. an indirectwater heater construction which may be readily attached to any type ofhouse boiler, and which will furnish an instantaneous supply. of hotwater for domestic pur- Doses.

It is a further object of my invention to use a heater constructionwhich eliminates the storage tank and the fittings normally required forthe usual type of hot water installations.

An additional objection of my invention is to provide an improved designfor an indirect water heater which eliminates all possibility of airbinding, and which is always completely filled with water moving in onedirection.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an indirect heaterconstruction which may be utilized with a circulating flow system, andwithout requiring a pump therewith.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a construction that can bethoroughly and quickly drained for cleaning, or for winter layup, andwhich can be quickly restored to service whenever desired.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, myinvention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosedin the detailed description following, in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claimsappended thereto.

In the drawing;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel water heater;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1, parts being omitted forclearness;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the novel header construction on the line3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3a is a sectional detail on the line 311-311 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a header; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticview showing the path of flow of water through the heater.

Referring to the drawing, the novel water heater in includes an outershell or casing II which has a boiler water inlet I2 at its upper endand a boiler water outlet l3 at its lower end, the easing having a frontplate [4, see Fig. 2, in which a plurality of coils l5 are mounted, thecoils being in the form of connected loops l6, preferably 55 formed froma single length of copper tubing, and

having their ends I! extending through inlet and outlet openings I8 andl8 respectively in the front plate l4, and 'swaged so as to be lockedtherein. The coils [5 are arranged vertically one above the other, butare inclined to each other at an angle 'to the horizontal, as indicatedby the lines 19, see Fig. 5, whereby the flow therethrou'gh is always inan ascending relation, as hereinafter explained. Two headers 20, 2|, seeFig. 2, are mounted on the front plate I4, 0 as by bolts 22 extendingthrough the headers and seated in cooperating threaded openings 'intheplate: I 4, flange ll' of the casing II, the header 2!! having an inletopening 23 for water to be heated and .an outlet opening 24 .for heatedwater, the openings being threaded to receive. pip.- ing nipples. Bothheaders have passagewayspr recesses 25, see, Figs. 3a and 4, which serveto conmeet the ends of each coil l5 with the contiguous ends of theadjacent coil, as indicated in the 20 diagrammatic Fig. 5, suitablepacking of standard type being interposed between the headers and thefront plate to ensure against leakage.

With the above described construction, the water to be heated enters theinlet 23, passes through the loops I6 of the first coil l5, always in anupwardly direction, then through the lowest recess 25 of the header 2|and into the next coil 1 5 which also is positioned so as to cause theflow to be continually upward, then through the lowest recess of theheader 20, and so on until the outlet 24 is reached.

The inflow boiler water from a domestic heating plant or the like,enters through the inlet connection l2 and exits through the outflowconnection [3, the flow of the boiler water around the coils of thewater heater being continually in counter flow relation to the upwardlymoving water in the water heating coils, whereby an extremely efiicienttransfer of heat from the boiler water to the domestic hot water supplyis obtained.

The small cross-section of the heating coils and the very large surfacearea exposed to heat transfer relation with the hot boiler waterproduces a very rapid fiow through the coils and a resultant rapidheating of the water, whereby a storage tank is not required. Thecontinually upward flow of the water in the coils permits utilization ofthe heater in a circulatory system, as no air pockets can form, the flowthrough the piping being continuous, whereby opening a faucetimmediately draws hot water from the system. Moreover, cleaning isfacilitated, as removal of the headers exposes the ends of each coil anddrainage for cleaning and for summer layoff is positive.

It will be noted that the construction utilizes a small number of easilymanufactured parts,

5 readily assembled and installed, whereby the cost of manufacture andof repair is low.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it isobvious that changes in the form, sizes, and shapes of the parts to suitJ different heating installation requirements may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

I claim:

' 5 1. In an indirect water heater, a casing having an inlet for heatingfluid and an outlet for cooled heating fluid, said casing having a faceplate, a plurality of substantially horizontal coils each comprising aplurality of continuous loops in the plane of the coil and in series andhaving its ends mounted in said face plate, and header means secured tosaid face plate and connecting said coils in series relation.

-2. In an indirect water heater, a casing having an inlet for heatingfluid and an outlet for cooled heating fluid, said casing having a faceplate, a plurality of substantially horizontal coils each comprising aplurality of continuous loops in the plane, of the coil and in seriesand having its ends mounted in said face plate, and header means securedto said face plate and connecting said coils in series relation, theflow of heating fluid through said casing and of water to be heatedthrough said coils being in. counter relation.

3. In anindirect water heater, a casing having an inlet for heatingfluid and an outlet for cooled heating fluid, said casing having a faceplate, a plurality of substantially horizontal coils each comprising aplurality of continuous loops in the plane of the coil and in series andhaving its ends mounted in said face plate, and header means secured tosaid face plate and connecting said coils in series relation, contiguouscoils being in inclined relation, and the inlet to said coils being atthe lower most point thereof, whereby water to be heated flows throughthe coils in continually ascending relation.

4. In an indirect water heater, a casing having an inlet for heatingfluid and an outlet for cooled heating fluid, said casing having a faceplate, a plurality of substantially horizontal coils each comprising aplurality of continuous loops in the plane of the coil and in series andhaving its ends mounted in said face plate, and header means secured tosaid face plate and connecting said coils in series relation, the flowof heating fluid through said casing and of water to be heated throughsaid coils being in counter relation, contiguous coils being in inclinedrelation, and the inlet to said coils being at the lower most pointthereof, whereby water to be heated flows through the coils incontinually ascending relation.

5. In an indirect water heater, a casing having an inlet for heatingfluid and an outlet for cooled heating fluid, said casing having a faceplate, and a plurality of substantially horizontal coils each comprising.a plurality of continuous loops in the plane of the coil and in series,said face plate having header means connecting said coils in seriesrelation, contiguous coils being in inclined relation, and the inlet tosaid coils being at the lower most point thereof, whereby water to beheated flows through the coils in continually ascending relation.

WALTER S. MOFFITT.

